Liangzhu horse hoof jades identified as oldest jade hair crowns in China. The two small equidistant holes drilled at the base of each tube are the key functional feature Excavation reports from Liangzhu culture sites show these artifacts appear almost exclusively in central main tombs of high-status male burials They are consistently found positioned directly beneath the skull of male occupants
Archaeologists now believe these strange jade tubes are the oldest jade hair crowns ever found in China. Found exclusively in elite male burials positioned beneath the skull, they functioned as status symbols representing the highest rank. Hair was gathered upward, passed through the hollow tube from below, then secured with a pin through two small holes at the base. The slanted rim created a dramatic angular silhouette on the wearer. Their extreme thinness was practical weight reduction for comfortable head wear, while the translucency was spiritually significant in Neolithic culture.
Key Facts
- The two small equidistant holes drilled at the base of each tube are the key functional feature
- Excavation reports from Liangzhu culture sites show these artifacts appear almost exclusively in central main tombs of high-status male burials
- They are consistently found positioned directly beneath the skull of male occupants
- The emerging consensus identifies them as jade crowns—the oldest jade hair ornaments yet discovered in China
- The deceased wore them in life as status symbols of the highest water (rank)
- The hair was gathered upward, passed through the hollow tube from below, and secured by a pin or cord threaded through the two base holes
- The slanted horse-hoof rim faced forward or upward, creating a dramatic angular silhouette
- Extreme thinness was an engineering decision to reduce weight for comfortable head wear, not merely aesthetic
- In Neolithic ritual cultures, jade's translucency was considered a direct expression of spiritual purity
Source: What Were These 5,000-Year-Old Jade Tubes Really For? by Curious Being